The artist, color and design consultant and owner of Faux What in Mentor continually implements new ways of making her guests feel comfortable while dining outdoors at her home.

“It’s the little, fun things you can do — lighting, plants, place settings,” she said. “It’s definitely the initial impression that has an effect on how people feel about being there. If you do something a little special then they’re not feeling like you’re just having a picnic.”

Weaver, who also has been instrumental in the design of the Lake County YMCA Dream House for years, offered an array of doable ideas for producing an arresting ambiance.

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“Collect mismatched china and don’t use paper plates,” she suggests. “Skip the tablecloth. I do place mats or mismatched place mats — something different to look at … If you have trees, get balloons, drop a stone or marble in them and tie them to a branch so they can float.

Get an old chandelier and wrap it in clear crystal lights. Suspend it in a tree.”

Ceramic bird baths serve several purposes at Weaver’s social gatherings. At times the decorative basins are packed with ice and used to chill bottles of wine or beer. Or, the creative woman may choose to scatter plucked flowers atop the water-filled vessel, composing a serene scene.

Among her tried and true ideas is filling white paper bags with sand or kitty litter for weight and adding battery-operated candles.

Noting that unexpected twists delight guests, she often sets hors d’oeuvres on big chunks of granite rather than trays or platters.

“I layer them for a buffet,” she said. “You have no serving dishes. Just let them cut right on it.

The different colors of granite can be very rich looking. I think people are always impressed because they’re not expecting it.”

Weaver maintains that because people “are always looking for outdoor places to be,” fashioning a space similar to an indoor room is very popular.

“If you have a deck or patio, use outdoor rugs, pillows, flowers — just like you do inside,” she said. “Think about years ago. There weren’t many restaurants where you could dine outdoors. Now everyone wants to be outside.”

Helping to “build” outdoor rooms is Kevin Powell of Leisure Spaces, a business primarily serving Lake and Geauga county residents.

“The patio is being taken to the next level,” Powell said. “People are mixing them with decks. It’s not just a deck — it’s an outdoor room.”

He credits several businesses, including Unilock, for creating new materials which enable versatility.

“Certainly pavers have changed — the size, along with a larger selection of colors and textures,” he said. “People want to go to low maintenance — not no maintenance, but low maintenance.”

Powell views the additions of decks and patios as a good investment for homeowners.

“When you go to sell your home the buyers see it as another space,” he said. “It adds value. It’s like finishing a basement or putting on an addition.”

Fire pits, sitting walls, outdoor kitchens and more are elements used to evoke a pleasant atmosphere.

Carl Kropko of CK Stonescapes in Willoughby also works with clients wishing to transform outdoor spaces.

The 1982 graduate of Mentor High School who has been at the trade for more than two decades, said he’s witnessed a shift from requests for landscape work to hardscapes which include built elements.

According to Northeast Ohio residents who are given a relatively short time to enjoy pleasant weather, making an effort to elevate levels of outdoor ambiance appears to be a worthwhile endeavor.